American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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Prepare for the ABS QE with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question provides hints and explanations to enhance understanding. Start your journey to becoming a certified surgeon and tackle your exam with confidence!

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Which of the following statements correctly defines continuous data?

  1. It includes data that is categorical in nature

  2. It is limited to integers only

  3. It can adopt an infinite set of values

  4. It consists exclusively of countable numbers

The correct answer is: It can adopt an infinite set of values

Continuous data is defined by its ability to take on an infinite number of values across a given range. This characteristic distinguishes it from categorical data, which groups observations into distinct categories, and discrete data, which consists of countable integers. For example, measurements such as weight, height, or temperature can vary smoothly and can take any value within a specified interval, including fractions and decimals. This means that between any two values of continuous data, there are infinitely possible values. Thus, the statement that continuous data can adopt an infinite set of values accurately captures this essential quality, highlighting the flexibility and richness of continuous measurements compared to other data types.